Trump Declares US ‘Guardian of Strait of Hormuz’, Imposes 20% Cargo Tariff | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States was likely to take control of the Strait of Hormuz, casting Washington as the future “guardian” of the strategically important waterway and arguing that allies should cover America’s costs of securing the global energy route.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the US will continue to protect the strait and may even take over its operations.
“We’re going to maintain the strait and probably operate it. We’re going to be the guardian of the strait. Maybe we’ll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be compensated for that,” Trump said.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime hubs, transporting a significant proportion of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. Any disruption to traffic through the narrow waterway has immediate consequences for international energy markets.
Trump said the United States should be compensated for ensuring the security of the strategic passage.
“We’re going to watch it. We’re going to get paid to watch it — a lot of money,” he said.
The US president has argued that US allies, many of whom rely heavily on energy supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz, should bear the financial burden of maintaining security in the region.
“We’re going to get compensation because other nations are very rich. They’re on our side and we can’t be expected to just do it for nothing,” Trump said.
Suggests a 20% freight charge
Declaring that the United States would take on the role of “Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said the strategic waterway would remain open “with or without Iran,” and proposed that Washington be compensated through a 20 percent fee on all cargo transported through the passage.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the US would guarantee free navigation to all countries except Iran, while reimposing what he called the “Iran blockade”.
“The Strait of Hormuz is OPEN and will stay OPEN, with or without Iran,” Trump wrote.
Trump Announces “Iran Blockade”
Trump said the United States was reimposing the “Iran blockade,” describing it as a measure that would only apply to Iranian ships and customers.
“We are restoring the IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it only prevents Iranian ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will use the strait fairly and openly,” he wrote.
Trump said the United States should be reimbursed for providing security in the region and proposed a 20% tax on all cargo transported through the Strait of Hormuz.
“As a matter of JUSTICE, (the United States) will be reimbursed 20% of all cargo transported for all costs necessary to ensure the safety and security of this very unstable part of the world,” he wrote.
According to Trump, work on the implementation of the proposal would begin immediately.
“The process and formation will begin immediately,” he added.
The closure of the strait incites global oil concerns
Trump’s remarks come as the Strait of Hormuz has become the focal point of the escalating US-Iran conflict. Iran’s effective blockade of the narrow shipping lane has disrupted shipping, sent global oil prices soaring and renewed fears of inflation driven by energy costs.
Iran warns US against ‘meddling’ in Strait of Hormuz, says Gulf cooperation would be ‘act of war’
But Iran’s military has warned it will not allow the United States to interfere in the administration of the Strait of Hormuz as hostilities between Tehran and Washington over control of the strategic waterway have intensified.
Iran’s Central Command spokesman Khatam Al-Anbiya said in a video message that Tehran would not allow any US involvement in overseeing transit through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.
“Under no circumstances will we allow … the United States to interfere in the administration” of the Strait of Hormuz, the spokesman said.
Tehran announced the closure of the strait on Saturday after what it called “unauthorized transit”. Iranian authorities said on Sunday that the waterway would remain closed, adding that navigation permits would only be issued after “stability and calm” had been restored.
Trump accuses Iran of violating agreements
The US president also accused Tehran of repeatedly violating agreements, saying diplomatic efforts had failed.
“We had an agreement. It was a done deal, and then they broke it. They always break it. We had 10 agreements with these people, so we’re just going to hit them very hard,” Trump said.
Read also | Ships Cross Strait of Hormuz Secretly As US-Iran Conflict Intensifies: Report
Iran warns of US military presence
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would resume only if the United States halted its military operations in the region.
In a statement, the IRGC warned that continued US intervention could trigger wider disruptions in global energy markets.
Military exchanges are intensifying
The latest comments came after US and Iranian forces exchanged heavy missile and drone strikes over the weekend and on Monday. Tehran said it had targeted US military installations across the Persian Gulf while maintaining the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The escalating military confrontation has cast serious doubt on an interim agreement between the US and Iran reached last month to reopen the waterway and suspend hostilities while the two sides continue another 60 days of negotiations.
Read also | Iran war has depleted US missile stockpile, report says
